1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink tank holding member that holds an ink tank used for an ink jet recording apparatus. The invention also relates to an ink jet cartridge having such holding member provided therefor, which discharges ink for recording as well.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 7 is a perspective view which illustrates an ink jet cartridge used for the conventional ink jet recording apparatus generally in use.
In FIG. 7 a reference numeral 1 designates an ink discharge unit provided with a plurality of ink discharge ports 14 for discharging ink, and 2, an ink discharge unit holding member that holds the ink discharge unit. When the ink discharge unit holding member 2 is coupled with the ink tank holding member (ink tank holder) 3 that holds an ink tank, ink in the ink tank installed inside the ink tank holder 3 is supplied to the ink discharge unit 1 held by the ink discharge unit holding member 2.
The ink tank installed on the ink tank holder is detachably mountable on the ink tank holder, and depending on the kind of an ink jet recording apparatus, there is the one having a plurality of ink tanks mounted on one ink jet cartridge. Then, the structure is arranged to make the ink jet cartridge detachably mountable on the recording apparatus in consideration of the case where recording head units should be replaced for the recording apparatus for some reasons.
In recent years, when recording is performed by use of an ink jet recording apparatus, there is often encountered the case where a single recording apparatus should operate for a number of different uses, such as, recording mainly characters to produce a business document or recording photographic images, among some others.
For such a recording apparatus, ink of different kinds are used depending on the intended way of uses. Then, ink jet cartridges each with the ink tank that contains ink should be replaced in some cases to make each of them optimally usable for the purpose.
Here, it is desirable to configure the outer shape the same for each of the ink jet cartridges which is optimized for the respective usages in order to simplify the mechanism of the installation unit for the ink jet cartridge of a recording apparatus. On the other hand, however, the shape should be made different for each of the ink tanks to be housed by the respective cartridges because of the amount of ink to be used, respectively, for the cartridge that mounts a plurality of ink tanks in particular.
As a cartridge of the kind, the inventors hereof have produced the cartridges shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B which serves as the background art for the present invention, respectively.
FIG. 6A shows a regular ink jet cartridge 12 which is used for printing usual documents and graphics, and which is used for forming images by ink of four colors using a pigment black ink tank 4, a dyestuff cyan ink tank 5, a dyestuff magenta ink tank 6, and a dyestuff yellow ink tank 7. As the pigment black ink tank 4 is often used for printing usual characters, its size is made larger than the other color ink tank so as to contain ink in a large amount. FIG. 6B shows a photo-ink jet cartridge 13 which is mainly used for highly precise printing such as to produce photographic images, and which is used for the formation of images by ink of four colors using a dyestuff black ink tank 8, a dyestuff cyan ink tank 9, a dyestuff magenta ink tank 10, and a dyestuff yellow ink tank 7. The dyestuff black ink tank 8 is not often used for printing characters. Therefore, the size of ink tank used for it here is the same as the usual size adopted for the other ink tanks.
In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the size of ink tank is made different is only for the pigment black ink tank 4 and the dyestuff black in k tank 8. Therefore, with a space for the pigment black in tank 4 is made available for the ink tank holder 3, th dyestuff black ink tank 8 is readily mountable on such space with excessive spaces on both side thereof, because it is smaller than the other. In this way, the ink discharge unit 1, the holding member 2, and the ink tank holder 3 can be shared by the regular ink jet cartridge 12 and the photo-ink jet cartridge 13 for use, although the kinds of ink tanks are different, hence making it possible to attempt common use of parts, and manufacturing process as well.
Nevertheless, in accordance with the aforesaid background art, the gap should be made on either side of the dyestuff black ink tank 8 for the photo-ink jet cartridge 13, which makes it difficult to position the ink tank 8. There is particularly a tendency that it is inclined sideways. Here, for the connection of ink flow paths of the ink tank 8 and the ink tank holder 3, it is arrange to press an ink absorbent provided for the ink tank 8, and the mesh filter provided for the ink tank holder 3 side to be in contact with each other. However, if the ink tank is inclined, a problem is encountered that the reliability of the connected portion of the ink tank becomes unfavorable. Also, the shape of the dyestuff black ink tank 8 is different from that of the pigment black ink tank 4, but there is still a possibility that these tanks are inserted erroneously. Particularly when the pigment black ink tank 4 should be inserted erroneously into the photo-ink jet cartridge 13, there is a fear that the original performance of the photo-ink jet cartridge 13 cannot be regained even if it is replaced with the dyestuff black ink tank 8 again as intended, because the properties of ink materials thereof are largely different.
The present invention is designed in consideration of the problems discussed above. It is an object of the invention to provide an ink tank holding member capable of enhancing the reliability of ink connecting portions by stabilizing the installing positions of ink tanks with a simple structure, as well as capable of preventing the erroneous insertion of ink tanks that may cause the degradation of the performance, and also to provide an ink jet cartridge provided with such ink tank holding member.
In order to achieve the objectives described above, the ink tank holding member of the invention for holding ink tanks containing ink is made freely attachable and detachable, at the same time, having ink lead-out members for leading out ink from ink supply ports provided for the ink tanks. For this ink tank holding member, gap complementary members are made mountable to complement the difference in shapes of ink tanks to be installed on the holding member.
With the structure thus arranged, it becomes possible to use the ink tank holding member for each of the cartridges commonly, hence attempting the common use of parts, as the same time, preventing effectively the ink tanks from being inclined by the provision of the gap complementary members. As a result, the reliability of ink supply portion is enhanced, and also, the degradation of performance that may be caused by erroneous insertion of ink tanks can be prevented.
Particularly, with the provision of plural coupling holes for the holding member to hold the ink tanks, and the gap complementary members configured to be symmetrical to the line that connects the plural coupling holes, it becomes possible to prevent the ink tanks from being inclined more effectively.
Also, the gap complementary members are provided with coupling nails, and at the same time, the holding member is provided with coupling holes corresponding to these coupling nails to make it possible, as an advantage, among others, to effectuate assembling easily by use of an automatic system, as well as to make adjustment thereof with ease.
Also, an ink jet cartridge of the present invention is provided with the aforesaid ink tank holding member, and arranged to receive ink from the ink lead-out members of the ink tank holding member, at the same time, having ink discharge ports for discharge ink.